The cost to build a new firehouse in Olathe at the corner of College Boulevard and Woodland Road could go up by as much as $1.5 million.
That would mark a roughly 10% increase to the Firehouse No. 9 project budget laid out in the 2025 capital improvement plan, bringing the project’s estimated price tag to $16.7 million.
On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council voted 6-0 to approve an amendment to the construction management services agreement with J.E. Dunn, a necessary step to getting construction started.
The amendment was part of the consent agenda, meaning the city council didn’t discuss it individually before voting.
Councilmember Matthew Schoonover was absent from the meeting.
What’s driving the Firehouse No. 9 cost increase?
- Some site conditions and other remediations are causing the project cost to go up on Firehouse No. 9, according to city documents.
- For instance, Olathe needs to add a retaining wall to the project plan to preserve trees so that there’s a buffer between the firehouse and the neighbors west of the site.
- Traffic improvements are also required on College Boulevard to allow for safe traffic flow with the fire apparatuses that will be stationed at Firehouse No. 9.
- Additionally, city documents say the design team has made some changes to the building plan to account for utility easements and other features of the site.
Olathe is working to minimize the project’s cost
While city documents note that those hiccups will potentially raise the cost by as much as $1.5 million, city staff believe they can work to lessen the impact of that by finding savings elsewhere in the project.
Currently, the city is working with the construction team to assess options.
Right now, city staff plans to bring the project back to the city council to officially ask for more funds later this year, but they don’t know exactly how much that will be.
However, they hope to come up with changes that make the effect less than the new estimated $16.7 million price tag, according to city documents.
In the meantime, construction crews expect to break ground on the project soon to prevent costs from going up further.
Emergency calls in this part of Olathe are on the rise
This property at the corner of College and Woodland was donated to the city from the historic Hoff Family Farm along with land that the city has dedicated to the future Pioneer Park.
Previously, Olathe Fire Public Information Officer Capt. Mike Hall told the Post that the location is important for the fire department because the northern-central portion of the city has seen steady growth for years.
That has increased the demand for emergency service. In the past decade, Hall said, the volume of calls for service has gone up more than 200% in this area.
“I don’t know what the day will be, but this is going to make an impact in somebody’s life,” Olathe Fire Chief Jeff DeGraffenreid has said.
Next steps for Firehouse No. 9:
- The city expects construction on the Firehouse No. 9 project to begin this month and take a year to complete.
- Over the next few months, city staff expect to come back formally requesting more funds for the project, though they are working to cut down some of those extra expenses in the meantime, according to city documents.
Keep reading: Olathe firms up plans for Pioneer Park on historic farm at College and Woodland
